AN APPLICATION OF EXPRESSED EMOTION TO THE STUDY OF PTSD - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

The important influences of the social environment and social support on the course of PTSD are noted. It is argued that the measure of Expr essed Emotion (EE), which has been used successfully to predict outcom e in a number of psychiatric and psychological disorders most notably schizophrenia, might productively be used to predict outcome in PTSD p atients. The aims of this paper are to report on the feasibility of mo difying and using the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI), from which EE is rated, with the significant others of PTSD patients, to report on the range and nature of the responses of the respondents, and to inves tigate whether the EE status of the respondent could be explained as a response to characteristics of the patient such as severity of the di sorder. The results from 31 respondents, in this preliminary study, su ggest that the modified CFI was appropriate with this population, that EE could be measured with acceptable reliability and that a satisfact ory range of responses was obtained. Of respondents, 52% were rated as high EE. But EE was not significantly related to type of trauma, rela tionship with the patient or severity of psychopathology. Predictions as to the possible associations between EE and outcomes are outlined a nd the implications of these are discussed.